[Katana] Add more ingest control

[vNicolini]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
In Katana, it currently only allows to import Alembic caches with the Importomatic node, and the USD caches with the UsdIn node. Which is fairly restrictive.

Describe the solution you'd like
For Alembic caches:

• ability to load using the Alembic_In node
• ability to load using the UsdIn node (Katana's USD support allows for Alembic caches to be loaded with their USD importer)
• ability to load using the UsdSubLayerAdd node (only in Katana 7.0+)

For USD caches:

• ability to load using the UsdSubLayerAdd node (only in Katana 7.0+)

Appreciate the efforts!
Cheers,
VNI

[vNicolini]

Forgot to add/mention, if using Alembic_In, UsdIn or UsdSubLayerAdd node to import a cache, the node name should be set to something around those line: <task>_<categories>_<assetName>_<format>

[masqu3rad3]

I am not sure about UsdSubLayerAdd since it is more related with USD authoring per shot context. I have been thinking to make a UsdAuthoring Extractors / Ingestors using DCCs Usd plugins to ingest but the standalone USD libraries to author.
But maybe I can make some loose extractors which is by default not assigned within the settings to keep things rolling.

[vNicolini]

I am not sure about UsdSubLayerAdd since it is more related with USD authoring per shot context.

In Katana it's not just for shot context but to actually deal with USD data end-to-end in Katana (7.0+).
The UsdIn node is sort of "legacy" at that point as yes it imports USD data, but it also convert it to Katana data directly. Whereas the UsdSubLayerAdd keeps it all as USD data.

From what i'm hearing here and there, the upcoming version(s) of Katana will "heavily" be oriented towards their USD toolset that they released with 7.0

[masqu3rad3]

Okay thats very good info. I will take a look at the UsdSubLayerAdd in that case. If its straightforward, I can sure add it.

The only thing I am trying to avoid is to go into a very convoluted way just to make one workflow available. That will eventually lead much more issues.

It wouldn't be fair to say Tik Manager is currently providing a complete start-to-finish robust pipeline. It is certainly not compareable to a in-house pipeline workflow, tailored for the specific needs of that studio.

However, the ultimate aim is to provide the base structure and tooling for that potential.

[vNicolini]

The only thing I am trying to avoid is to go into a very convoluted way just to make one workflow available. That will eventually lead much more issues.

In Katana in regard to loading caches you don't have lots of choices per se. Especially prior to Katana 7.0.

Before, no matter the cache you were loading in, be it USD or Alembic (no other file format are accepted in Katana), it would converted on the fly to "native katana data", no matter if you were loading the USD or Alembic with the UsdIn, Alembic_In or Importomatic.

With Katana 7.0 new USD toolset, USD caches finally can be read/manipulated as USD data "end-to-end", but only when loaded with the UsdSubLayerAdd.

Hopefully the clear things out a bit!